WAEC bars five SHSs from registering students for WASSCE 2023

The management of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says it has blacklisted five Senior High Schools from WAEC registration, thus the barred second-cycle schools will not be able to register students for WASSCE.

The affected SHSs, WAEC in a release copied to AcademicWeeK said are; Olistar Senior High/Technical School, Abesim; Gateway SHS and Law­rence SHS, both in Sunyani; First Class SHS, Achimota, Accra and Martin Luther SHS, Kintampo.

The Council said the schools were barred from the examination for commercializing the WASSCE registration process by putting out banners and charging between GH¢1, 200 and GH¢6,750, as the 2023 WASSCE registration fees

“They have “commer­cialised the registration process,” putting out banners and charging candidates between GH¢1, 200 and GH¢6,750, with the promise of good grades instead of the approved fee of GH¢381.24,” it said in the release.

Speaking at a press briefing the spokeswoman for WAEC, Agnes Teye-Cudjoe said the registration log-in codes of the affected schools had been suspended, pending further investigation and additional sanc­tions for the illegal practice.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Public Relations Officer (PRO) said the approved fee was for seven (7) or eight (8) subjects, excluding practical or oral tests which ranged between GH¢14.50 and GH¢19.50 respectively.

As part of measures to en­sure test security, she said WAEC had enhanced inspection of schools to register for WASSCE and would take action against regular schools which were operating as remedial schools to demand higher fees and assist in cheating.

“Some existing schools have also been re-inspected to ensure that they meet the required standards in terms of personnel, infrastructure, equipment and other relevant facilities,” the WAEC official told stakeholders at the briefing.

The Examinations Council spokesperson indicated that the management of her outfit has held briefing sessions nationwide for authorities of 978 Senior High Schools that are expected to present candidates for the examination.

Commenting on rules governing the conduct of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), she said the Council has revised the rules and regulations to ensure transparent conduct of the national examination.

The registration which opened on March 15, 2023, will be closed on April 19, 2023, without further extension of the deadline. This year, Ghana for the second time will write the WASSCE without other WAEC member countries.

The Ghana-only version of the WASSCE will be conducted from Monday, July 31, 2023, to Tuesday, September 26, 2023. The timetable according to the West African Examinations Council will be made available in due course.